Katie Dreams
by Jacky Higgins
Summary: What if you could grow old with her just tonight? Tomorrow you'll die young and sick, but what if in your dreams you could see what might have been... what would you see?


A/N; Okay, this is very short. I realize that. However, it says what I want it too and I hope it's good despite lack of length! Please review.

"Katie," I whimpered, tossing and turning in bed, as I had done for so long now. It had been only a few days since I had gotten sick, selling out in the rain, but it felt like a year. I was hot with fever and my bad leg ached. Since the accident last year, I haven't been real strong and I get sick pretty easy. I should have known better than to go selling in that downpour. It may be the last dumb thing I ever did.

"Katie," I said again, wishing she'd come to me. I hate being alone when I'm sick. I just hate it. But I love Katie, and I guess it's good that she was staying away. I didn't want her getting sick too. But before I could finish the thought, I must have fallen asleep and she was with me then…

We weren't in the city anymore. In my dream, that is. Instead, we lived just outside it, on a farm. I couldn't believe it, a real farm, so real I could practically smell the sweat of horses, and feel the grass under my feet.

I could walk, too, without a crutch to keep my on my feet. That was good. I'm sick of hauling that thing around, being in constant pain and having a four foot long (or something) reminder of it.

It was morning, in my dream, and I was standing outside, leaning on a fence and watching the sun rise. It was great, all these reds and golds, and the air smelled so fresh, no smoke or dirt. But of course, there was work to do before breakfast and so I turned toward the barn.

Now, I've never milked a cow in my life, but I did then. I had three cows, Bessie, Bossie and Angeline. I let my wife name them- wait. If I had a wife, that meant that Katie was here. It sounded just too good to be true. I hurried up milking the cows, then carried the pails of milk to the back porch and set them down before hurrying inside for breakfast.

"Daniel?" Called a woman's voice from the kitchen, and I hurried in. "Just in time for breakfast!" She came towards me and my breath caught in my throat as I realized that it was my Katie, almost twenty years later. I caught her and pulled her close, kissing her deeply. She blushed, but smiled.

"Daniel, I don't think you've done that since we were married," she commented.

"I don't know how I could stand it," I remarked, indistinctly, and was about to kiss her again when someone at the door cleared their throat loudly, sounding amused.

I looked over to see three kids standing at the door, watching Katie and me.

We had kids.

That meant we'd…. my eyes went wide and I stifled a gasp. Wow.

"Henry!" Katie exclaimed, smacking him with a dish towel. Never mind that at seventeen Henry towered over his mother. She was in charge here and she let him know it. "Take these plates," she continued, hugging her boy. She shoved a couple of plates in his direction. "You too, Jack," she continued, and I realized that we'd named our son after my best friend, Jack Kelly. "Elain, help me take these into the table."

Katie continued ordering the children about until everything was on the table and we sat down to eat.

I loved this place. I loved my family. Katie was here, and everything was as we had planned it so long ago. There was work to be done, all day, but I didn't mind. Farming was really the life for me, what I was meant to be. Too bad it was all a dream…

"Katie," I moaned again, feeling sick and sad that I had been pulled from such a perfect place. The covers were hot on me, and I tossed and turned, too weak to get them off.

Suddenly, hands stronger than mine lifted the blankets off of my body, letting cool air bathe me. Someone laid a hand on my head, and I wished it would stay there forever, cutting through the heat that enveloped me.

"My leg," I whispered, not thinking straight and not being able to talk too good, either. All I knew was that I was hot and my leg hurt worse than it had in a long time. It got stiff and hurt when the weather was bad, or when I was sick, and sometimes I was lame for days, even after the weather let up or I recovered for whatever illness I had that time.

"I hear you, Crutchy," said a deep voice. Jack. If Katie couldn't be here, at least I had someone with me. Like I said, I hate being alone when I'm sick.

Suddenly, I had to know something. "Jack? Where's Katie?"

"She… She can't come, Crutchy," he stammered.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean she's never coming."

It took a moment to sink in, and then I realized what he meant. Never. Never ever.

"Jack," I murmured as the fever took over again, and I started shaking, "Don't go anywhere, 'kay? Don't leave me here…"

"I won't," he said. "Go to sleep, Crutchy. I'll be here-" he coughed, and I thought I heard him start to say 'if' before he did- "when you wake up." And I drifted off to sleep again, fever pulling my mind away from reality…

The next thing I saw was a big city. It struck me all of a sudden that it was the cleanest city I had ever seen. The buildings were tall and sparkling white. The people in the city wore white themselves.

I must have some fever, I thought, and continued to look around. The city seemed luminescent, glowing and was barred by two big gates. I was standing in front of it, wondering what to do next, when suddenly I spotted a familiar face. Two of them, actually.

It was Pennywhistle Bates, usually just called Penny, and his girl, Ella Sanders. Ella was black, and they had been found dead on the Bridge not a year before. Some racist had killed them while they were kissing goodbye. They died in each other's arms, but now they stood, hand in hand, waiting for me.

"Penny!" I called, waving. He grinned.

"Heya, Crutchy! Come on in."

The gates swung open, revealing a beautiful, blinding light. I stepped into it, feeling warm and full.

"Hello, Crutchy," Ella called. "Come in. Katie's already here…"


End file.
